Live

Trump 2nd term live updates: Trump defends tariffs, declines to comment on Ukraine aid

Trump said tariffs will be the "greatest thing we've ever done as a country."

Last Updated: March 9, 2025, 8:31 PM EDT

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to pause some tariffs to Canada and Mexico for another month -- a notable reversal after imposing historic levies on the key U.S. trading partners earlier this week, causing markets to tumble.

On Friday, Trump signed more executive orders at the White House before he convened a first-ever cryptocurrency summit with industry leaders.

Mar 03, 2025, 10:01 PM EST

Pentagon spokesperson details $80M in 'wasteful spending' found by DOGE at DOD

In a video posted to X on Monday night, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell outlined the Department of Government Efficiency's initial findings of "wasteful spending" at the Department of Defense.

He detailed findings of some $80 million in so-called waste, attributed primarily to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as initiatives related to climate change.

PHOTO: President Trump Holds Campaign Rally In Pennsylvania
Sean Parnell speaks during a campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 3, 2020.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

Among them were a $6 million University of Montana program to strengthen democracy, $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study climate on the African Sahel and a $1.9 million Air Force program on DEI transformation and training.

Calling such programs a "distraction" from the DOD's mission, Parnell said that the process of finding and trimming such programs "will make us more lethal and that means that our war fighters on the battlefield will be more successful."

The video was shared on the same day that DOGE updated the "Savings" page of its website for the third time, showing a pattern of changing and deleting contracts that it had previously listed as having saved hundreds of thousands of dollars to billions of dollars in federal money, after media outlets and others publicly questioned details of the contracts.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Soo Rin Kim

Mar 03, 2025, 9:08 PM EST

Trump's 'Renewal of the American Dream' address will be 'MUST-SEE TV,' per White House

The theme of President Donald Trump's address to the joint session of Congress will be "Renewal of the American Dream," a White House official told ABC News.

The White House official said the president will focus on four parts: the president's record thus far, the economy, border security and the president's plans for "peace around the globe."

President Donald Trump arrives to speak to members of the media in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Mar. 3, 2025 in Washington.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The president will push Congress to pass more border security funding for deportations and the border wall, the official said.

On foreign policy, the president is expected to touch on his efforts to help broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. He is also expected to focus on his administration's efforts to bring home hostages amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

A statement from the White House said, “President Trump has accomplished more in one month than any president in four years – and the renewal of the American Dream is well underway. In his Joint Address to Congress, President Trump will celebrate his extraordinarily successful first month in office while outlining his bold, ambitious, and common sense vision for the future. President Trump’s Joint Address will be MUST-SEE TV.”

-ABC News' Rachel Scott

Mar 03, 2025, 8:02 PM EST

Trump orders 'pause' on military aid to Ukraine

Trump directed his administration to "pause" military aid to Ukraine after the contentious meeting in the Oval Office on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, two White House officials told ABC News.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Mar. 3, 2025.
Leah Millis/Reuters

A White House official told ABC News that Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace, adding, "We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution."

-ABC News' Rachel Scott and Michelle Stoddart

Mar 03, 2025, 7:48 PM EST

Johnson to lawmakers: 'Maintain decorum' at Trump address

Speaker Mike Johnson said lawmakers need to be “on their best behavior” at President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night.

“We ought to maintain decorum. It’s an important event for the country and everybody needs to be on their best behavior. So, I am praying that’s true,” he said as he walked into the speaker’s office.

Related Topics

Sponsored Content by Taboola